Washroom cabinet



Dec. 20, 1960 M. H. SESSIONS WASHROOM CABINET Filed May 5, 1958 Mnecfl.5551570115;

INVENTOR.

53 M XML Un t SW68 atent 6 WASHROOM CABINET Filed May 5, H58, Ser. No.732,994

1 Claim. (Cl. 312-242) This invention relates to a washroom cabinetwhich combines the functions of a towel dispenser, soap dispenser, wastepaper receptacle, and storage cabinet in a single unitary cabinetstructure. The objects and advantages of this invention will be bestunderstood from the following description of an illustrative embodimentthereof, in connection with the attached drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective of one embodiment of the invention showing thecabinet doors closed;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a perspective of the embodiment of Fig. 1, showing the cabinetdoors open.

Referring to the drawings, the invention comprises an enclosure havingtwo sides 10, a back 14, and a top 15. An upper door 24 and lower door32 are hinged to one side of the enclosure with an aperture betweenthem, the upper door having a lock 26, and the lower door having a latch34, which may be a lock. Flanges 12 extend from the sides and top andbottom of the enclosure to adapt the cabinet for flush mounting within awall as illustrated in Fig. 2. However, it will be understood that thecabinet need not be flush-mounted within a wall, and that flanges 12 aretherefore required only when the cabinet is to be flush-mounted. In thisparticular embodiment of the invention, the enclosure also has a bottomand a bottom flange extending therefrom. However, the bottom may not benecessary in every embodiment of the invention.

Attached to the rear of the upper door is a towel dis penser unitgenerally indicated at 28. The towel dispenser unit may be of anysuitable type. However, it is preferably of shallow depth, as shown. Thetowel dispenser employed in this embodiment has a body portion 27 whichis adapted to hold paper towels, and which has an opening in its bottomfrom which extends a portion of the lowermost towel 30. The towels arefolded and in terleaved, such that when the lowermost towel is re moved,a portion of the towel above is drawn out the bottom opening of bodyportion 27. A cover portion 33 is hinged to the bottom of the bodyportion by hinge pivots 31, and is normally latched in its closedposition by a latch 29, which is located at the top of the dispenser.When the upper cabinet door is opened, cover 33 may be unlatched andopened for reloading the towel dispenser, as illustrated in Fig. 3. Thebottom edge of the towel dispenser unit is near the bottom edge of upperdoor 24, so that towel portion 30 normally extends below the level ofthat door into the aperture between the doors.

Storage shelves 16 and 18 are mounted within the enclosure behind thetowel dispensing unit. The lowermost storage shelf 18 substantiallyabuts against the lower edge of the towel dispensing unit 28 when theupper door is closed, as shown most clearly in Fig. 2, thus serving toseal off access to the storage space when the upper door is closed. Inthe instant embodiment the towel dis ensing unit 28 extendssubstantially fully across the width of the upper door. However, inembodiments where it 'tloes not it may be necessary to form lowerstorage shelf 2 18 with extensions which close off the space between thesides of the towel dispensing unit and the sides of the enclosure, toprevent access to the storage space when the door is closed. The storageshelves may be used to store any desired material, for example sparetowels 17 and soap 19.

A soap dispensing unit 20 is mounted by means of bracket 22 to the backof the enclosure below lower storage shelf 18. This soap dispensing unitmay be of any type. However, it is preferable that it be of a type whichis loaded from the top, as herein disclosed. An opening 23 is providedin storage shelf 18 to afford access to the top of the soap dispensingunit for loading thereof. The soap dispensing unit is located with itsloading portion very close to the storage shelf so that it cannot betampered with when the upper door is locked. The delivery handle 21 ofthe soap dispensing unit extends below the lowermost towel 30, where itmay be easily seen and operated by the user.

A waste paper receptacle 36 is contained within the en closure behindlower door 32. The top of receptacle 36 is open and is convenientlyaccessible through the aperture between the two cabinet doors. Thecontainer is preferably removable from the enclosure, but it may be ofany type. It is also possible to have the sides and bot tom of theenclosure serve as a waste paper receptacle; however, this is usuallyless convenient for removal of the waste paper.

A particularly important feature of this invention is that the loadingportions of the soap and towel dispenser units may be left open, orunlocked, and spare towels and soap conveniently stored on the storageshelves along with any other necessary items used in a washroom, and allsecured against theft or tampering by the single lock 26. Thus,refilling the towel and soap dispensing units becomes very simple, andfurthermore whenever the storage cabinet is opened to get any othermaterials the maintenanee personnel are reminded to refill the twodispensing units and are encouraged to do so by the ease of refilling.

A further important advantage of the invention is that access isprovided to towels, soap, and the waste recep tacle via a singleaperture in the cabinet. This provides convenience in use andconservation of space. An additional important advantage of theinvention is that no special mechanism or operation is necessary forcatching and disposing of waste soap from the soap dispenser, since itfalls directly into the waste paper receptacle. Ordinarily an apron orequivalent structure is necessary with soap dispensers mounted in acabinet or wall.

Thus, it can be seen that this invention combines the functions of atowel dispenser, soap dispenser, storage cabinet, and waste paperreceptacle in a single unitary washroom cabinet structure that providesfor ease in the refilling of the dispensers, protects them againsttampering, and permits convenient access by the user to soap, towels,and waste receptacle via a single aperture. And, although this inventionhas been described in connection with one specific embodiment thereof,it will be understood that many modifications can be made in thespecific embodiment disclosed without departing from the spirit of theinvention. This invention includes all modifications which fall withinthe scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

A washroom cabinet comprising an enclosure having a back, two sides, anda top, an upper door hinged to one side of the enclosure and extendingfrom the top thereof downward, the upper door ha ing lock means operableto secure the door in its closed position, a lower door hinged to oneside of the enclosure below the upper door. the lower door extendingfrom the bottom edges of the enclosure upward and having latch meansoperable to Patented Dec. 20, 1960.

taehed to the inner side of the upper door with the hot-' tom edgeof't'he towel dispenser near the bottom edge of the upper door so thattowels normally extend from the dispenser into said aperture, a shelfhaving an opening therein attached to the enclosure near the bottom edgeof 10 the towel dispenser and substantially abutting the same when thedoor is closed, a soap dispenser having an open top mountedin theenclosure below and substantially abutting the bottom of said shelf sothat the open top of the soap dispenser is in direct communication withthe" opening in the shelf and the bottom of the soap dispenser isaccessible through said aperture.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,681,840 Carlson d-. Aug. 21, 1928 1,688,242 Lawrence Oct. 16, 1928Jantzen t Jail 1, 1,920,797 Jones Afig. 1, 1933 2,584,274 Laystrom JFeb. 5 1952 2,636,645 Reynolds .t Apr. 28, 1953

